Observation Log - June 1, 2000 - Tinton Falls, NJ

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NGC5866, a lenticular galaxy in Ursa Major, magnitude 10.0, diameter 5'.2. This image used the f/6.3 focal reducer and the Homeyer color filter wheel, giving an effective focal ratio of f/4. This is a composite of 26 exposures for a total integration time of 52 minute. The final image was created and processed with dark frame subtraction, flat field, then compositing, Digital Development (FFT, low-pass, mild), unsharp mask (FFT, low-pass, mild), and finally a contrast stretch. Images were taken between 01:23 a.m. and 02:19 a.m. the morning of the 1st. The session ended with these exposures, as clouds rolled in. The image above is actually only slightly stretched. Here is a "normal" version of the image with a regular contrast enhancement. You can see the lenticular shape of the galaxy better here, but the detail in the dark lane and core area are lost in the over- exposure.

NGC4088, a galaxy in Ursa Major, magnitude 10.5, diameter 5'.8. This image used the f/6.3 focal reducer and the Homeyer color filter wheel, giving an effective focal ratio of f/4. This is a composite of 9 exposures for a total integration time of 18 minute. The final image was created and processed with dark frame subtraction, flat field, then compositing and finally a contrast stretch. Images were taken between 12:00 a.m. and 12:19 a.m. the morning of the 1st, from my front lawn in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.

NGC5474, a galaxy in Ursa Major, magnitude 10.9, diameter 4'.5. This image used the f/6.3 focal reducer and the Homeyer color filter wheel, giving an effective focal ratio of f/4. This is a composite of 24 exposures for a total integration time of 48 minute. The final image was created and processed with dark frame subtraction, flat field, then compositing, Digital Development (FFT, low-pass, hard), flatten background, and finally a contrast stretch. Images were taken between 12:22 a.m. and 01:16 a.m. the morning of the 1st.

M81, a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, magnitude 6.9, dimensions 26'.9 x 14'.1, distance is 4.5 million light years. This is an experimental image created using the f/3.3 focal reducer, giving an effective focal ratio of about f/2. This was made from 3 exposures for a total integration time of 15 minutes. It was processed with dark frame subtraction, flat field, then compositing, Digital Development (FFT low-pass mild), and finally a contrast stretch. Images were taken between 11:08 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. the evening of May 31st.